Battle of Jikkoku Pass

The Battle of Jikkoku Pass (1570) was a battle of the Sengoku Period between the Takeda and Uesugi clans in Shinano Province (present-day Nagano Prefecture). An army of nearly 6,000 Uesugi troops under the command of Kenshin Uesugi invaded the Takeda-held Shinano Province, facing nearly 4,000 Takeda troops under Shingen Takeda. The result of the battle was a decisive Takeda victory.

Background
The rivalry between the Takeda and Uesugi clans began in 1546 when the Hojo clan of the south invaded the Uesugi lands to the north. The Takeda daimyo Shingen Takeda, who was allied with both clans, refused to come to the aid of the Uesugi out of fear that his insecure southern border would be prone to Hojo invasion. The result was the Uesugi becoming independent from Takeda influence, and Kenshin Uesugi fought against the Takeda, Hojo, and Imagawa clans for dominance over the Kanto region. The Imagawa were crushed in 1560 at the Battle of Okehazama in an unrelated conflict with the Oda, leaving only Shingen Takeda, Kenshin Uesugi, and Ujiyasu Hojo to vie for control over Kanto.

Although the Uesugi and Takeda fought to a draw on the 10 September 1561 Battle of Kawanakajima, neither side was able to stop their feuding. The Hojo were successful in repulsing a Takeda siege against Odawara Castle in 1569, but in April the Takeda defeated their Hojo pursuers at Mimase Pass as they retreated. By 1570, the three sides were ready to fight again.

It was Kenshin who took the first move. 5,880 Uesugi troops, consisting mainly of Yari Ashigaru spearmen, crossed the border into Shinano Province and invaded Takeda territory. The Hojo to the south were not ready to be drawn into a battle with the Uesugi, as they were still preparing forces. Therefore, it was up to Shingen to lead his army to victory against Kenshin himself. 3,870 Takeda troops were assembled to fight the Uesugi. They included not only Yari Ashigaru, but also swordsmen and bowmen. In addition, European cannon and musketeers provided an extra edge to the Takeda army, and Takeda cavalry were stationed on both flanks of the Takeda army.

The battle was set at Jikkoku Pass near Sakuho-Machi in the Minamisaku District of Nagano Prefecutre, then a part of Shinano Province. The battlefield consisted of a large but narrow valley in the center, with a small mountain pass in the west. Strategists on both sides suggested using the mountain pass to flank the enemy side, but the Takeda army decided to let the Uesugi funnel their large army through the valley under fire from cannon. They would only be able to deploy a few units at the clearing at a time due to the constriction on the amount of units that went out at a time, and the Takeda would be able to concentrate their fire on a few Uesugi units at a time.

The Takeda formed their positions, with their musketeers in the front. Behind them were the Yari Samurai in case of a large attack that threatened the musketeers. Behind the spearmen were the swordsmen, ready to strike down the attackers if the spearmen faltered. Behind them were the bowmen, who required units to keep them away from attacking melee units. They could fire from some distance, so they had a buffer between them and the enemy. Behind them was Shingen himself, who gave an inspiring speech to rally all of his forces and encourage them to defeat the Uesugi despite their numbers. Behind Shingen were the 60 gunners of 4 artillery pieces, which were vital to the success of the Takeda army. The Takeda cavalry was positioned on each flank of the Takeda army to prevent an Uesugi flank attack. The fate of Shinano Province rested on the battle, one of the largest of the era.

Battle


Kenshin's large army advanced through the valley slowly, and the Takeda cannon began to fire. Most of the initial shots missed, and it was only after they reached a few meters to the end of the valley that the Takeda cannon were able to fire with accuracy. Four Uesugi units advanced through the mountain pass as well, but their arrival was delayed due to steep hills and thick foresting. Takeda forces stood in their positions and waited for the attack to begin.

The Uesugi units that marched within 25 meters of the end of the valley were pounded by the European Cannon. Originally meant for siege purposes, the cannon did have some worth, killing quite a few Uesugi troops in their clusters. However, the cannon fired only a few shots within a large period of time that it took them to reload. The cannoneers ran out of ammunition eventually, having used up most of their shots before the Uesugi came into conventional range. The cannonneers rushed to join the sword ashigaru at the center of the Takeda formation in order to aid the Takeda if they needed more assistance.

The crafty Takeda army musketeers unleashed a first volley when the Uesugi army came in range. Their deafening roars scared many Uesugi troops and also killed many of the unarmored peasants, and some central Uesugi regiments began to rout upon hearing the gunshots. The Uesugi troops that reached the Takeda formation were immediately met in melee combat, and many of the Uesugi troops had little will to fight. The Takeda forces surged forwards and began to inflict heavy casualties, with assistance from the other layers of units behind them. The Uesugi forces fled in droves and were pursued by the Takeda, who cut down the Uesugi that were running away. The routing Uesugi units did not fight back, as they were more concerned with their own survival than that of their other soldiers and did not care to stop running.

The Uesugi units on the mountain pass also gave in, seeing the other units rout. The Takeda cavalry on the flanks of the army began to pursue the fleeing Uesugi, and the whole Takeda army swarmed against the Uesugi as they fled. Takeda horsemen dipped their swords into the backs of running Uesugi peasants, and Kenshin fled with his entourage on horseback, unwilling to die in such an embarrassing battle.

Takeda forces continued their ruthless pursuit, although their infantry became tired after chasing the Uesugi for a while. They were also too slow to run ahead of the Uesugi troops and actually attack them, so they killed very few Uesugi units. The major Takeda pursuit units were the cavalry, who charged at the fleeing Uesugi and trampled or slashed them, and they continued to ride ahead of the Uesugi units and wait for them to pass by them, whence they would kill them as they ran. The Uesugi were totally routed, and Shingen Takeda won a brilliant victory.

Aftermath
The Uesugi army lost 4,009 dead, while 447 Takeda soldiers were killed. The Takeda forces were victorious in their defense of Shinano, and Kenshin's ambitions were thwarted. However, the Kanto conflict was to continue until the defeat of the Uesugi by Nobunaga Oda in 1577 at the Battle of Tetorigawa, five years after Shingen died of illness while besieging Kyoto.